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Curricular Infusion and Integration
- conflict resolution, decision-making & critical thinking in "academic" subject areas
handout by Kathy Bickmore, 1998
Some SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, & ATTITUDES needed for effective CONFLICT RESOLUTION:
Communication (verbal & non-verbal):
active listening
asking appropriate questions
clear speaking
(e.g. stating opinions, giving reasons)
critical reading
persuasive speaking & writing
observation, noticing details & clues
identifying & expressing feelings
dramatizing, role-playing
understanding perspectives, viewpoints
communicating w/o same language |
Reasoning & Managing Problems:
risk-taking
clarifying issues & problems
hands-on problem-solving
improvising
decision making (internal & inter-personal)
consensus-building
using voting procedures
recognizing interests, needs, & values
analysis, e.g. comparison/contrast, themes,
breaking complex ideas/ tasks into parts or steps
critical thinking, evaluation
recognizing strengths & weaknesses
synthesizing, summarizing main ideas
visually respresenting ideas & problems
predicting consequences |
Cooperation & Community-Building:
patience
tolerance
persistence
managing anger & frustration
respecting self & others
sense of equity, fairness
strategies for sharing & turn-taking
taking initiative
accepting responsibility
comfort with disagreement & multiple answers
understanding basic human needs/rights
collaboration & teamwork |
Peacemaking & Negotiation:
identifying long-range & short-term goals
inventing win-win (integrative) solutions
compromising
asserting, yet knowing when/how much to give in
understanding negotiation processes
familiarity with mediation purpose & processes
understanding legal/ judicial system & alternatives
understanding of impartiality, neutral stance
respecting confidentiality |
Recognizing & Resisting Prejudice
openness to unfamiliar ideas
comfort with different kinds of people
respect for different viewpoints
familiarity with various cultures
capacity to evaluate fairness
strategies for confronting unfairness |
Concepts for Understanding Conflicts & Problems:
types of conflict, how conflict works
escalation & de-escalation of conflict
social institutions handle various types of conflict
perspective, point of view
needs, interests, & positions
identifying common ground, bridging difference |
A few resources:
Bickmore, K. (guest editor, Winter 1997), "Teaching Conflict Resolution." Special Issue of Theory Into Practice (36:1; Arps Hall, Ohio State U., Columbus, Ohio 43210 USA).
Johnson, D.W. & Johnson, R.T. (1994), "Constructive conflict in the schools." Journal of Social Issues vol. 50 no. 1, pp. 117-137.
Macbeth, F. & Fine, N. (1995), Playing with Fire: Creative Conflict Resolution for Young Adults. Gabriola, BC: New Society Publishers (P.O. Box 189; Gabriola Island, V0R 1X0)
Metropolitan Toronto School Board (1996), Challenging Ourselves: Towards Equity and Violence-Free Relationships. Markham: Pembroke Publishers (538 Hood Rd. L3R 3K7)
Soley, M. (1996), "If it’s controversial, why teach it?" Social Education (National Council for the Social Studies) vol. 60 no. 1, pp.9-14.
SOME SAMPLE WAYS OF PRACTICING CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS IN ACADEMIC CONTEXTS:
LANGUAGE ARTS and FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Speaking skills - class discussion acknowledging all personality types, and also group norms, behaviors and rules; role play conflict dialogues
Listening skills - role play conflict situations in "life" and in "literature," practice active listening in games, language lessons, and as part of mediation process
Critical thinking skills - deducing and establishing natural and fair consequences for choices and behaviors; invent/act out different resolutions to conflict role plays
Negotiation skills - students make suggestions, encourage feedback, evaluate, and clarify rules and consequences - for classroom, and for characters in stories/dialogues
Perception skills - investigate and write or speak publicly (prose or poetry) about peaceful role models, personal definition and goals for peace; practice/act out feeling words
Mock negotiation or mediation between characters in stories/ books (primary level) such as fairy tales, Magic Fish, Cat in the Hat, & Where the Wild Things Are:
Rewrite new resolutions to a story
Brainstorm/ create multiple ways of expressing the same feeling or idea
SOCIAL STUDIES
Find & evaluate information in news, editorials, and letters to the editor, using/comparing the points of view of different newspapers and newsmagazines
Study levels and types of prejudice: model and role play problems and alternative solutions
Discuss diverse modes of communication, both verbal and non-verbal
Use/develop various visual materials (such as movies, slides, overhead transparencies), and various verbal modes (such as court simulations, debates): translate words/pictures
Role play mediations, United Nations & World Court hearings, round-table negotiations re: international hostilities - current and in Canadian or world history; identify participants and points of view in each international or intercultural conflict
Analyze different viewpoints across time or geographic/ cultural space, identify common ground, conflicts, and alternative resolutions to human problems in history/geog.
Simulate/practice democratic governance with class policies, elected student leaders, etc.
MATH, SCIENCE, and ARTS
Science - study different points of view, e.g. re: animal preservation (field trips), scientific fact-finding & decision-making, e.g. re: oceanography
Math - graph (& express in ratio/proportion) diversities in community
Practice estimation & measurement using recipes from various cultures
Clarify & discuss expectations, e.g. when cooperating is a good idea (using peers as resources, as real scientists and mathematicians do), and when it is "cheating;"
Emphasize practicing/showing problem-solving, rather than just getting "correct answers"
Cultural & historical roots of math and science - how challenges of problem-solving have been handled - e.g. biographies of Euclid, who died violently, or Copernicus, who was ridiculed for his discoveries
Investigate & represent "tough choices" (using graphs, charts, statistics, proportions, etc) - e.g. violence and environmental damage in the community
Scientific method - inquiry, hypothesizing, careful fact-finding, evaluation of evidence - apply to school & community problems students want to solve
Geometry - e.g. perspective, optical illusions; logical proofs re: counter-intuitive shapes or geometric rules/ relationships
Art (visual) - independent creative projects, e.g. educational posters re: animal preservation, advocating human rights, community problems
Communicating different viewpoints & feelings, notion of ‘perspective’
Become familiar with arts from various cultures, arts for various purposes
Music - experiment with composition, harmony, counterpoint, music to express feelings or communicate themes
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